Who Shot Arnold?
by James Barker
Summary: Arnold is shot by an unknown gunman but who is behind it? Gerald? Helga? Stinky? Find out in this fourpart mystery story. The truth will be guaranteed to shock you. Now complete!
1. Part 1: The Crime

I would just like to say I was inspired by the "Who Shot J.R.?" episode of Dallas when I thought up this idea. I thought it was pretty funny. Hope you like it.

Who Shot Arnold?

By James Barker

Part 1: The Crime

Arnold had taken the bus to go home from school that dark and rainy day. He reached the stop and decided to go through the alley to get home quickly. As he reached half the alley, a dark mysterious figure emerged into the alley with a gun in his hand. Arnold heard the footsteps and turned around to see the lone gunman. "Who are...YOU!" was the last words Arnold said as the stranger fired bullets into his chest then ran off leaving Arnold's lifeless body to bleed in the alley.

-The next day-

"And I would just like to say that you're all special in your own special way," Mr. Simmons went on with his usual crappy speech he made before each class as the students all tried their best to stay awake. "And to start the day I would like to say..." but the teacher was interrupted when Principal Wartz rushed into the room and ran to Simmons. "What's this all about, Mr. Wartz?"

"Get over here, Simmons," Wartz hushed the teacher as he motioned him to move his head closer so he was within whisper distance. As Principal Wartz whispered the news, the students were surprised to see all color disappear off Simmons. After the conversation was over, Wartz looked to the class. "I would like the following students to follow me to my office: Helga, Gerald, Sid, Stinky, Phoebe, Curly, Herald, and Eugene please follow me.

Simmons went on with his lesson plan as Wartz guided the students to his quarters. He had them sit down in seven separate chairs as he too took his own seat. "You...students I have to inform you of some very bad news." The kids looked at each other with confused faces not expecting what he was about to say. "You know your classmate Arnold?" They all nodded. "Well, it turns out that yesterday while going home from school, gunfire was heard and nearby people had found," Wartz took a deep breath, "that your friend Arnold was shot by an unknown gunman."

The kids' faces all grew pale. Helga looked like she was going to die but no other student saw that. Gerald clenched his fists together in rage. 'Who the hell would do that?' he thought as he grinded his teeth. "He's not dead but unfortunately he's in a coma at the hospital and it's not looking good."

"Well why did you call us here?" Gerald asked trying to control his anger.

Wartz had a serious look on his face as he eyed each of the kids like a hawk. "From the evidence police had found at the scene of the crime, the shooting points to one of you in this room." Everyone's eyes went wide with shock and the news made Gerald even angrier. 'Why would I be a suspect? I'd never hurt him! Never!' "Right now the police would like all of you to head to the station with me. They just want to ask you some questions and get alibis. Now if you'll just follow me."

The trip to the police station had taken less than twenty minutes. There, each of the kids were questioned and brought to get their finger prints examined. The whole deal had lasted an hour and a half and that had been enough to make Gerald know what he had to do. After the police questionings, Gerald left for the hospital.

There he was told the room number and found himself in front of Arnold's lifeless body. "Who the hell did this to you, Arnold?" The body just lay motionless. "I swear on my life I'll find the bastard who did this to you. I swear it!" He took Arnold's hand and did their famous hand shake. "I swear it."

As Gerald left the room and down the hall, Helga snuck into the room and quietly closed the door. She stood before her beloved and collapsed to her knees. Tears welled in her eyes and she laid her head on his lap and cried.

I hoped you like the first part. I'll bring another soon as well as another Titan Hunt and Jim Bar chapter. R&R and thanks.


	2. Part 2: The Investigation

Thanks for the reviews. I would just like to say your guesses are pretty close. Anyway on with the next chapter. Enjoy!

Part 2: The Investigation

It had been two days since the kids had been told by the police that they were suspects in the shooting of their friend Arnold. Gerald had taken matters into his own hands. Gripped by a need to avenge Arnold and make the gunman pay for his crime, Gerald had begun his own investigation to solve the case. Many would call him a vigilante for doing this and could possibly put him in jail. He didn't care.

On the third day the game had changed. During a questioning, Sid asked if he could use the restroom and was followed by some police officers to escort him while he went in. A gunshot was heard throughout the station and the officers dashed in to find that Sid had been shot dead and the killer had escaped. Gerald heard the news which made him angry but also left him with questions. Why would the killer kill Sid? Was he trying to kill the suspects. If so, why?

-Two Days Later-

Gerald and the others had finally had enough time from police questionings to go back to school. As he was walking down the hall, he heard a whispering coming from the door to the basement. It was Stinky slowly opening the door and beckoning for Gerald to follow him. "Gerald! Get over here now!" Sweat was pouring down his face. Gerald reluctantly followed.

"Stinky, what's going on? You look like hell." Stinky just kept walking down the stairs looking back and forth. Looked like he was going mad. "Stinky..."

They had finally reached the basement and Stinky was frantic. "Gerald Jesus mother of Christ ya gotta help me!" He was nearly in tears and on his knees.

"Stinky calm down. What are you worried about?"

"Didn't ya hear? Harold's dead!" Gerald suddenly turned his face towards Stinky's with a dead expression. "He was shot, Gerald! He was shot! The guy who shot Arnold and killed Sid must be killing the suspects!" It was clear to Gerald at that moment. The murderer was killing the suspects but why? If they all died wouldn't he be given away? "Gerald ya gotta hide me!"

The two were so wrapped up in the hectic conversation that they didn't even notice the dark stranger creeping down the stairs with a gun in hand. "Stinky calm down. It's gonna be o..."

Stinky jumped to his feet and grabbed Gerald by the collar. "Gerald! For God's sake our friends are dead! He's coming for us! You gotta help..." It was so sudden when the gun went off and Stinky's head jerked as it took in the blow of the bullet. Gerald had a dawn of new horror bloom in his eyes as he saw his friend collapse dead to the floor. He looked up in time to see the killer dressed in a black trench coat run up the stairs to escape.

For a second he cradled his friend and quickly mourned him but rushed after the killer to catch him. But when he reached the hall the killer was gone. 'Dammit!' The day had passed and the police had removed the body and were searching the crime scene. Gerald did all he could to describe the gunman but to no avail.

Gerald was at his house writing down suspects' names and crossing off the victims. 'Damn. What the hell am I gonna do?' As if by a miracle at that moment, the phone rang and Gerald eagerly picked it up. "Hello?"

"Gerald?" Phoebe was on the other line and Gerald breathed a sigh of relief to hear her voice. "It's me. We need to talk."

Gerald noticed something. Her voice wasn't like the way it usually was. This time it was serious and scared. "Phoebe, what's wrong?" There was silence for at least twenty seconds.

"It's about the murders. I think I may know a few things...I can't go to the police with it or else...Gerald meet me by the Pigeon Man building. It'll be safer there."

Gerald was lost to all of this. "Phoebe. What's going on? What do you mean 'safer'?" Even he had to admit he too was a little scared by all of this. There was a maniac on the loose and she knew something.

"Gerald just get over here! I know who the killer is...oh god I've said too much. Just hurry!" The phone went dead and so did Gerald's breathing. 'What's going on in this city?' He rushed over to the building as quickly as he could and dashed through the door.

"Hello!" No response. "Phoebe! Where are you? Phoebe!" Suddenly, he heard a scream that would haunt him forever. Phoebe's scream. It came from somewhere on the third floor and Gerald began to run. "Phoebe I'm coming!" As he neared the desired floor, he heard a gunshot. "No. NO!" Gerald finally reached the floor to find a terrible sight. Phoebe lay dead on the floor with a bullet wound in her stomach.

Gerald fell to his knees beside her lifeless body and felt tears begin to form in his eyes. "Oh god no...no no no..." There was no way to bring her back. She was dead. Love hurts. As Gerald began to sob over the death of his girlfriend, a shadowy figure emerged from behind and began to make his escape when he tripped over a piece of furniture causing noise and causing Gerald to see the face of the evil who took Arnold and Phoebe. "CURLY!"

Curly sprung to his feet and flew down the flight of stairs quickly enough to escape Gerald. Gerald now knew who his enemy was but now he felt a different kind of need: revenge. Now that he knew who the killer was he would hunt him down and dish out his own brand of justice. 'You're gonna pay, you bastard. You're gonna pay!'

I hope you like this chapter. R&R everyone!


	3. Part 3: The Showdown

Well the story's almost done. Just this chapter then the next. Hope you've like it thus far and thanks for the reviews. Now without further ado.

Part 3: The Showdown

Gerald clutched the crowbar tightly in his hand as he tailed Curly's trail. Vengeance killed all sense of logic. 'This ends here, Curly. Arnold, Phoebe, Stinky, Sid, Harold, I hope you're all lined up to see this confrontation. To see the death of your tormentor.' Gerald was losing it but he didn't care as he ran to find the insane boy.

-The Hillwood Cemetery-

Helga stood before the grave of her best friend Phoebe. She couldn't believe it. In just this week she had lost both her love and her best friend. Just then Helga remembered the note that Phoebe had given her before she went off to her house. Phoebe had told her not to open it until the time was right for it could get them both killed.

'If the truth is in here, Phoebes, I'll make sure your death wasn't in vain.' She slipped open the envelope and pulled out a piece of crumpled paper. Helga's eyes filled with undying fear as she read the hurried handwriting. The words of a dead girl. It consisted of a deranged plot that involved all of them and the identity of the killer. 'My God! It can't be! Why?' She dashed away from the grave with newfound knowledge of what was happening and who was behind it all.

-P.S. 118-

From everyone he questioned along the way, Gerald had found out that people saw Curly running into the school. 'No place to hide, Curly! Just you and me!' He smashed open the double entrance door with his foot and stepped inside. It was a saturday so the school was abandoned say for the two kids planning to kill each other.

"Curly! Come out, you rat-ass son of a..." Suddenly he heard frantic footsteps run down the hall and he followed quickly. "No use running, Curly! One of us is gonna be dead by the end of today and it ain't gonna be me!" Footsteps going up the flight of stairs and Gerald followed with a twisted obsession. He would kill Curly. "Come on, man, don't run! Let's talk!" Gerald began to beat lockers with the crowbar as he followed the killer.

"Come on! COME ON! COME ON!" Suddenly he heard a body falling down a flight of stairs right into the hall. Gerald saw Curly sprawled on the floor gripping his leg. "Awww what's wrong, Curly? Hurt your leg?" Gerald slowly walked towards the boy as he tried desperately to crawl away. "It ends here, Curly!"

"Wait! Gerald, wait!" Curly scrambled to the wall to try and get to his feet but to no use. "You don't understand! I'm not the killer!" Gerald raised the crowbar but whatever sanity he had left stopped him from driving it into Curly's skull. "Gerald ya gotta believe me! I didn't kill any of them!"

"What the hell did ya say? You didn't do it? Liar! I saw you there when Phoebe died!" Pain filled Gerald as he remembered that horrible moment. Phoebe's poor lifeless body cradled in his arms. "You killed them!"

Curly looked around the hall desperately with fear. "You don't understand! I didn't kill her or any of 'em! He forced me to be his fall guy!"

Gerald's mind hurt with questions new and old flooding it. "Who's he? What are you talking about?"

"Gerald, this is all a set-up. A lie! He told me if I didn't help he'd kill me! I found out and he said he'd kill me unless I helped!" He once again frantically scanned the hall with large beads of sweat pouring down his face. "He might be watching us!"

Gerald was growing concerned and angry. "Curly! Who did this? Who are you protecting?"

"You're right, Gerald. By the end of this day one of us will be dead." A single tear rolled down his face. "Listen! The one who did all of this is..." Suddenly gunfire roared through the air and Curly died as two bullets collided with his head killing him. Gerald looked to the source of the gunfire and saw the real foe run up the stairs. 'Damn! Who is this!' Gerald quickly followed the newfound killer to the roof.

-Hillwood Hospital-

It had days since Arnold was shot and fell into a endless coma. He was lost in dreams. Dreams of his final moments in that alley. But this day the dreams would stir life back into his body and he sprung up screaming. Nurses and doctors ran into the room to see the football-headed kid sit up gasping for air. "I know who did it! I know who did it! It was-"

"Eugene?" Gerald had followed the killer to the roof to only have a gun pointed to his back and to see the face of his enemy. "You...you did all this?"

Eugene's face grew into a large sadist grin as he walked with back to the door and gun to Gerald's chest. "Why of course, oh dear Gerald. I am the mastermind behind the shooting of Arnold and the deaths of the others. Ironic isn't it? The one person you'd least expect turns out to be a deranged killer. Oh irony is so sweet."

Gerald now was confused. All feeling of anger filled with confusion. "But why? Why shoot Arnold? Why kill the the other kids!"

Eugene's smile suddenly washed away. He was no longer the Eugene he had known for all those years. "Why? WHY! I'll tell you why! Arnold's the reason for all the crap I've been dealt all these goddamn years! Every time something horrible happens to me it's because Arnold's there! He's the reason for all of this! That's why I shot him!" Gerald soon realized how insane Eugene truly was.

"Are you completely insane?" Gerald soon regretted his words as Eugene ran up to him and beat him in the face with his gun. Feeling warm blood run down his face, Gerald slowly got to his feet to see the gun once again pointed in his direction. "Why...why kill the others though? What the hell did they do to you?"

Eugene's smile suddenly returned. 'Sadistic little freak.' "Now that is where the story gets interesting isn't it? You see they were all there when I shot Arnold. They all saw me. Stinky, Helga, and of course you weren't there though. Had to threaten the rest of them to keep quiet but it just wasn't working. They were gonna spill their guts and I had to silence 'em!"

"But why kill Stinky then? You said he didn't see you shoot Arnold."

"Well, dear Gerald," Eugene went on, "that bullet wasn't meant for him. It was for you." Gerald's blood went cold. "The stupid bastard got in the way. Almost had you too. You were snooping in places you shouldn't have. You were too close and you had to die."

Gerald felt a sharp fear strike him. "But why put in Curly as your fall guy?"

"Why not?" Eugene said with a laugh. "Who wouldn't suspect Curly when it comes to crimes. He was perfect. Stupid idiot had to get himself killed by trying to tell you. I also forgot to mention that I planted the evidence that got the police on your backs. Now I'm afraid this is the end of our story. The end for your part anyway. Goodbye, detective." Gerald felt the fear once again as Eugene raised the gun to kill him. 'This is the end.'

Suddenly Eugene was smacked to the ground and Helga stood behind him with a bat. But Eugene dove for the gun and before Helga could do anything he shot her in the leg. "Stupid bitch!" Gerald dove at Eugene and tried to wrestle the gun outta his hands. The two struggled for half a minute until the barrel got shoved into Gerald's chest and fired.

What could happen? Is he dead. All will be revealed in the final chapter of this suspenseful mystery. R&R and see ya soon.


	4. Part 4: Dream?

Note: Well this is the finale we've all been waiting for. The next chapter will be an ending none of you would have ever expected. Here you are.

Part 4: Dream?

Arnold woke up screaming in the middle of the night. He looked frantically around to see that he was still in his room. 'Wait? What?' He was in bed. 'It...it was all a dream?' Slowly he got out of bed and crept around the room feeling everything he could get his hands on. 'It was all a dream! Oh, my god! But it was so real!' He decided to dismiss the thought and went into the bathroom to take a shower and wash off. He was covered in tears and sweat and needed to clean off.

'It was all a dream! Haha! No one's dead, Eugene's not a killer, and I'm okay! It feels good to finally be awake.' But he froze with fear when he removed his shirt. 'No...it can't be!' There on his chest was a scar of a bullet wound in the very place he was shot in his dream.

Well I hope you all enjoyed my story. I'm off to go work on my Titan Hunt and Jim Bar stories now. Thank you for reading and reviewing my story.


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